Kaoru's Journey
by D-D Dreamer
Summary: The long road traveled is the road a traveler learns the most. Kenshin suddenly disappears from the Kamiya dojo, leaving Kaoru alone. Feeling abandoned, Kaoru discovers another way to get him back. She travels on a journey to help herself find the closure she needs to become Kenshin's equal.
1. Dealing with Kenshin's Departure

**Hi. Here's another RK fanfiction idea that won't leave me alone. It's an idea that suddenly appeared after watching the Kyoto arc.**

 **I was re-watching some of the RK episodes and I noticed a little bit before the Kyoto Arc, how Kaoru's role changed. She was still the same spirited fighter, but she seems to take a step back and let Kenshin do most of the fighting. I know she's strong because she's an assistant master of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, but compared to Sanosuke and Kenshin, I feel she didn't get the chance to show her true strength. So this story idea is a chance for Kaoru to become more independent and find her confidence.**

 **This story continues sometime after Enishi's revenge.**

 **Warning: Story is rated Teen for violence and adult language. The characters in this story will be OOC. Also, please be kind in your reviews. I don't appreciate flames.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.**

* * *

The day Kenshin Himura left the dojo, Kaoru Kamiya's heart shattered in little pieces. The first time in departing, he gave her a hug and a thank you before turning his back to travel the long distance to Kyoto. The second time was an overkill. But Kaoru should have seen his farewell coming. Kenshin was protective and secretive. Whenever Kaoru asked him what was wrong, he would answer with "it's nothing to worry about." And Kaoru believed him because she thought he would eventually tell her when the time was right.

The time wasn't right in this case. Saito had returned temporarily to the police station in Tokyo and had visited the dojo along with some other police men. He claimed it was important that he discussed some matters with Kenshin and the others. The stunned look on her face as Kenshin invited Sanosuke Sagara and Yahiko Myoujin must have shown, because Kenshin pulled her aside and calmly asked her to serve tea. Of course, she was the hostess since she had guests in her home. It was her responsibility to make sure her guests were accommodated for but she was spoiled because Kenshin usually took the role. Plus, he knew how bad she was at making tea. Her tea never came out as flavored or as soothing as his. But she nodded her head and dutifully made the tea as he asked her. Since Sanosuke and Yahiko were included in the batch of teas, Kaoru had to make seven teas and the amount of time it took to boil the water, to separate the leaves and to adjust the mugs on the tray seemed to take forever. She must have took a long time with preparation of the teas because by the time she went into main room where everyone met to discuss important matters, the men were already exiting the dojo. Kaoru stopped to look at them with a frown.

"Am I missing something?" she asked no one. She saw Sanosuke's usual carefree face turned grim as he sized up the officers walking through the yard to the gate. Kenshin's body appeared tense. His face hiding behind red bangs. Yahiko took a deep breath and shook his head. He raised his bokken at his side to sling it in the strap at his back.

"I think I should go to Akabeko to see if Ms. Tae needs some help," he said. He adjusted his clothes before he sprinted to the main gates. Kaoru was about to open her mouth to say something when Sanosuke beat her.

"I should go to the clinic to see if Megumi needs me to pick up something."

"This unworthy one should buy some tofu for dinner, that I should," replied Kenshin as he lifted his head to reveal a polite smiling face. Kaoru balanced the tray between her fingers, feeling as if the weight was tipping over on one side.

"But I made some teas for you," Kaoru said lamely at last. Sanosuke didn't hear her. He was already making his way to the main gates. Only Kenshin heard her and he moved to grab the tray from her hands.

"I'm sorry Miss Kaoru," Kenshin replied softly. Automatically, she noticed the change in his speech pattern to notify the talk between the police and himself was not a good one. "You made teas for everyone and we didn't get as chance to enjoy it."

Kaoru swallowed the questions she had in her throat, knowing he would deflect giving answers until he was ready to share them with her. Instead, she smiled and replied with, "My teas aren't as good as yours. It's better if no one drank them anyway."

Kenshin shook his head and lowered the tray on the floor with a grace that she secretly envied. He lifted one of the cups to his mouth, blowing gently before sipping the contents. His azure eyes closed at the blissful feel of liquid flowing through his mouth. "The tea tastes very good, that it does."

Downing the rest of it in seven gulps, Kaoru stared abash as he lifted the tray of teas and was about to head into the kitchen. Quickly, Kaoru grabbed one the cups and cradled it in her hands. Kenshin stared at her for a long moment, the intensity making her cheeks flush. "Kenshin?" she whispered his name as a soft smile settled on his soft face. He turned and made his way into the kitchen.

Putting the edge of the cup to her mouth, she lightly sipped at the tea. Her face frowned at the bitter flavor spreading across her tongue before she forced herself to swallow it. "Yuck! How could he stand to drink my tea?"

Kaoru walked at the edge of the walkway and tipped her cup, pouring the distasteful contents onto the floor. "You liar," she mumbled under her breath. Righting the cup in her hands, she made her way into the kitchen when she noticed that Kenshin was already grabbing his pouch of money and putting it into his sleeves.

"Kenshin?" Kaoru questioned. A frown marred her pretty face.

"This unworthy one will pick up some tofu from the market, that I will." His speech pattern returned to normal but the smile never touched his eyes as he glanced at her. He turned his back on her and a long time ago, Kaoru decided she disliked seeing his back to her. It meant he was distancing himself from her and she acknowledged that he was already on a different level than her. In swordsmanship he was an expert. In cooking and doing household chores, he made the perfect spouse. In persuasion and charisma, no one could beat him. In Kaoru's eyes, Kenshin was perfect and yet he berated himself to make his existence seemed nonexistent.

'I'm the unworthy one,' Kaoru thought. 'No matter where you go, I will always be a mere shadow.'

"Kenshin," his name left her lips. He paused, probably he heard the uncertainty in her voice. "W-will you tell me what you and the police were discussing?"

She heard him inhale a breath. His fingers caressed the hilt of his sword at his waist, signifying that Saito's talk was a serious matter. Then he exhaled and his light tone sounded the same. However, Kaoru knew he dismissed her and she wouldn't be getting a word out of him anytime soon. "There is nothing to worry about, Miss Kaoru."

And his footsteps took him to the front gates. Kaoru raised her head and watched as he disappeared. She could hear the fast rhythm of her heart drum, the way her breaths puffed against her chest as she struggled to moisten her mouth. The air was too dry and words were caught in her throat. One hand outstretched and before she knew what she was doing, she was running to the dojo gates, peering outside of it in search for a red headed samurai. Instead she saw people bustling around and most of them were either black heads or brown heads. None had the flaming scarlet hair or the immense aura that could turn heads.

'Why do I feel as if he's leaving me? What is this ache in my heart?' Kaoru questioned herself. She slumped onto the ground, dirtying her white hakama. Her instincts were screaming at her all evening as she waited for the figures of her small family to return home. One by one they did and her instincts were still beating at her about something not being right.

It was after dinner when everyone decided to go sleep, did Kaoru noticed the tenseness in the atmosphere. Sanosuke wasn't his cheery self. Yahiko didn't call her ugly. And Kenshin was rather quiet, his eyes staring into the distance. Kaoru knew he was having one of his flashback scenarios and it was best if she left him alone.

And did she realize a bit too late that it was a mistake on her part. The next morning she woke up to a silent dojo. Footsteps padded down the hall into the kitchen where she noticed there wasn't usual scene with the red head making breakfast. There was no one to say good morning too, no freshly steaming food to arouse her hunger, or the loud voice from the child to anger her. She was alone.

'No! This can't be right!' Kaoru mentally screamed. She rushed to Kenshin's room, pausing in front of it. Raising her hand to slide the door open, she called out his name. "Kenshin?" She heard no reply. Instead, there was a neatly folded futon in the center of the room. A folded paper laid on top of it. With shaky hands, Kaoru retrieved the note and opened it.

 _Dear Miss Kaoru,_

 _By the time you are reading this letter, this unworthy one has left to wander once more. This unworthy one feels regret for bringing you in danger countless times and each time, this unworthy one has come close to losing you. It can't happen anymore. To protect you, this unworthy one must wander and hope you will be alright. Thank you for everything._

 _Your friend,_

 _Kenshin Himura_

The note crumpled in her hands and tears streamed down her cheeks. She fell down to her hands and knees, sobbing, realizing that Kenshin was never going to return into the dojo. The first time he left, he had the decency to tell her goodbye in person. The second time he left, it was as if he had nothing to say to her.

Her hands clenched into fists and she slammed them against the floor. "Why?" she sobbed to no one. "Why did you have to leave? Better yet, why can't you tell me anything? Am I so weak?"

She kept pounding the floor, letting out her tantrums, her insecurity for the man she loved. Yes, she loved Kenshin. But that was the main problem. He didn't return her feelings. He loved someone else a long time ago and the extreme hurt he felt for losing his wife, scarred him. He created emotional barriers so he could never feel similar pain. Besides, how could he wander for ten years and saved the amount of people that he did without feeling some sort of attachment to anyone?

A whole day passed and Kaoru stayed in the same place as she wept on the floor. The letter was shredded into little pieces at her feet. The next day she awoke in pain. She forced herself to her knees and crawled out of Kenshin's room to the dojo pathway. The rays from the sun blinded her and Kaoru shielded her eyes as she thought about what she should do next. She was so deep in thought that she never heard Yahiko's light footsteps behind her or heard him call her name. The only sight he recalled seeing was her looking like a nightmare. Her raven hair looked a bird's nest, tangles in large humps. Her eyes appeared swollen. Her hands and face were extremely pale. Her white yukata was rumpled. But her eyes appeared lifeless. The natural spark was gone.

"Kaoru," he said her name again. The young pupil sat down next to her and understood her feelings well. Kenshin packed his remains and left without her. He wasn't the only one. Megumi and Sanosuke left overnight to accompany Kenshin. Although he was present for the discussion the police had when they asked Kenshin for his help, Yahiko couldn't understand all the details that were laid out for the red headed samurai. The young pupil only thought about how upset Kaoru would be if Kenshin pushed her aside because he felt the need to protect her.

And his thoughts came to life as he saw Sanosuke dressed up for a mission. A bag was tossed over one shoulder as one hand was shoved in his pocket when he greeted him from a night working at Akabeko. Yahiko was standing besides Tsubame, gazing at the stars during their fifteen minute break. Sanosuke waggled his dark eyebrows and Yahiko wanted nothing more than to have a bokken to hit the rooster's head.

"Excuse me," he excused himself from standing next to the shy brunette girl. She timidly nodded her head and stepped away from him. Yahiko eyed her small form, standing at a safe distance. She wouldn't hear them but he was able to make sure she was safe. "What the heck are you doing here rooster head?!"

"I see I interrupted your little date with your girl," Sanosuke teased as his annoying eyebrows waggled again. Yahiko just hit him on the head, causing the taller man to flinch. "Aw, come on! You can't take a joke!"

"I'll ask again! What are you doing here?"

Sanosuke shifted away from him and Yahiko noticed the bag slung over his shoulder.

"Where are you going?" he asked the taller man of all a sudden.

The man clothed in a white pants, a white open shirt with the word "bad" on the back, a red bandana and his fists wrapped in bandages raised his free hand to brush against his already messed up hair.

"Sanosuke?" Yahiko said through gritted teeth. He rarely called the taller man by his proper name.

"We decided to leave tonight," Sanosuke answered a bit awkwardly.

'You have every right to feel guilty,' Yahiko thought. "Does Kaoru know about it?"

Sanosuke couldn't look the young boy in the eye. He shook his head.

Yahiko sighed. "Who else is going?"

The tall man with a rooster head, raised his head in shock. "Just me, Megumi and Kenshin."

"Megumi?"

"She's a doctor and we're heading to her family's place."

"Aizu?"

Sanosuke nodded.

"Are you going to tell Kaoru about it?"

Sanosuke flinched and it was a reaction that Yahiko noticed.

"She's going to be furious."

"We think it's best that she stays here." "We" meant him and Kenshin.

Yahiko raised his eyebrows. "Is this journey that dangerous?"

"Yes."

There a brief pause and Yahiko saw how the taller man was shifting from foot to foot. His free hand brushed the top of his head as though he was nervous or uneasy about something.

"You should tell her."

"And risk her wrath. No offense but Missy can be as scary as hell."

"But the last time you guys left her, she cried until Megumi convinced her to go Kyoto."

"Missy wasn't crying for me."

"But she was hurt about your disappearance."

Sanosuke gave him a funny look.

"Don't give me that crap."

"Look, I came to ask you if you can watch over her for us. This journey is a tough one. I don't know how long it can take."

"I will try. It will be kind of hard now since I am working longer hours at Akabeko," Yahiko said as he strained his eyes to see Tsubame's petite form. An absent smile tugged on the corner of lips as he saw Tsubame brush a loose strand behind her ear.

Sanosuke followed the young boy's eyes and smirked. "I know. You have something here to keep you busy."

Yahiko frowned, glancing at his weird friend and not liking the knowing smirk. "Get out of here, you're pissing me off!"

Sanosuke saluted him and turned around to walk away. With a final wave, Yahiko heard his last words. "Take care of Missy for us."

Yahiko had tried to return from work the next morning but Akabeko became crowded with a lot of people. The weekends were the days that swarms of people ate and spent time outside their homes. On those days, the dojo didn't have any students besides him, which was why he pressed on the idea of working longer hours until Tae didn't need him. He spent the night at the restaurant and decided to walk home with leftovers, knowing that his kendo teacher wasn't the best cook.

But he never thought to come home to a frightful sight of the woman sitting down, looking lost in the world. As he bent down and said her name, he observed the dull look in her eyes. It was as if she didn't register him or anyone else. There must have been one word in her mind. "Abandonment." She probably thought everyone deserted her.

Standing for a moment, he decided the best course of action to take care of her. A bath and hot food sounded nice. Kneeling and pulling his kendo instructor to his side, he stood up, supporting her weight at his side. Usually he would make some comment about her appearance or in this case her weight, but her lack of response shut his mouth.

On unsteady feet, he took her to the bath house and instructed her how to bathe all while his cheeks turned red. He rested his hand on the small of her back and pushed her into the bathhouse. When the door slammed shut, he went to light a fire and put wood into it to heat the water. While he waited, acknowledging that Kaoru in her depressed state wouldn't turn down a bath, he walked into the kitchen and warmed up the leftovers he brought from Akabeko.

Slight brushes of steps warned Yahiko that Kaoru was making her way into the kitchen. He transferred the steaming food into bowls and placed them on the table. The sight of a slightly wet and disheveled Kaoru in a fresh white yukata greeted him as she took a seat across from him. Gingerly, almost methodically, she reached for the rice of bowl and chopsticks. She clutched a bit of rice with her chopsticks before bringing it to her mouth to chew.

Yahiko thought he was ready to face the pain, the accusations and questions she must have had about their friends' disappearances. But his eyes widened in shock at the deadness in her dark eyes. 'Since when did Kaoru have black eyes?' he wondered. There was no luster or no expression. Her eyes barely shifted as she stared at him. The rim of her eyes appeared reddish blue as if someone punched them several times.

"Kaoru?" was all he could say.

The past two days passed slowly. Kaoru could see how hesitant her pupil was before returning to work at Akabeko. She surprised him by not asking questions about Kenshin's destination or whatever happened to the rest of their friends. It was best if she knew nothing. Didn't Kenshin say there was nothing to worry about. Besides, the moment he chose to wander again, she had no right to question his actions. He wasn't going to return, even if the dojo was his home.

Tears stung her eyes but she kept her head up high and straightened her shoulders. She had to be strong for Yahiko and herself. This time there was no wailing to doctor Megumi or getting her sensible advice to track down the red headed samurai. There was no freeloader to assure her that the clueless samurai was concerned for her. Dr. Gensai didn't stop by with the two little girls. Kenshin was gone. Without him, others would stop visiting.

The dojo was dead.

Kaoru took a deep breath in and slowly let it out. Standing up on wobbly feet, she moved to the tree in the yard and grabbed her broom. Feeling the rough wood in her hands reminded her that she hadn't practiced kendo in two days. Instead she silently observed as Yahiko practiced his katas all while he kept watchful eyes on her. It broke her heart that he was stuck here to watch her when she secretly knew he wanted to be working at Akabeko to be closer to the girl he adored, Tsubame.

That's what she had become; a burden on everyone. No wonder Kenshin finally packed his stuff and left her. Well, she never asked him to do the laundry or to cook food, or to fetch tofu. She only wanted his company because his presence assured her she was safe and there was someone who appreciated her.

Her other friends weren't friends. They were at the dojo because of his presence. No one cared about her.

She didn't know how long she stood in the middle of the yard stuck in her depressed little world. All she knew was the sun was setting and Yahiko returned from another day of hard work. There was a bag of food in his hand.

"Kaoru?" he called to her. A sudden shift and she was looking at him with dead eyes. Tears were falling down her cheeks.

"Why are you here?" she asked him, almost making him jump at the sound of her voice; so dried and cracked.

"What do you mean?" he asked her. "I'll always be here when you need me."

"No you won't," Kaoru shook her head wildly causing dark locks to fall into her face.

"Kaoru -." Yahiko never got to finish his sentence.

"You're here because of him. Everyone was here because of him. I'm no one. This is my home but all the visitors wanted to see him They wanted his help. And all those times I wanted to help him fight his battles, he made me watch on the sidelines like I was unreliable. During his fights against Shishio, Saito, Jineh and all the others, where was I? In the background or nowhere around."

"Kaoru."

"And you! You're the worst of the lot!"

Yahiko stepped back, trying to remind himself that Kaoru was lashing at him in anger and hurt. Her words didn't mean anything, or did they mean something?

"You!" Kaoru pointed her finger at him as she accused him. "You admire him more than anything! You wanted to be like him! To learn his swordsman style!" She began to laugh hysterically while wiping at her tears with the back of her hands. "But you got stuck with the ugly hag who had to teach you swordsmanship that can't compare to Kenshin's. That's why you insulted me every day; to constantly remind me that I was forcing you to learn something you wished not to learn." She quieted until she collapsed on the floor. She hunched over, as though her lungs couldn't gasp for air.

"Kaoru!" he shouted. He was running blindly to her but she stuck out her broom in offensive stance and swiped hard at his side. He crashed into a tree, moaning at pain. Cradling the wound with his hand, his eyes widened when he felt moisture gathering there. Moving his hand to his face, he saw blood. She must have saw what she done because her shrill was loud enough to make him tremble in fear.

"Get away! Leave me alone!" she screamed as she clutched her hands to her head. Yahiko struggled to get back on his feet but Kaoru gripped the broom handle tightly and faced him with wild eyes. She reminded of a rabid dog, hurt, lost and alone. That dog would snap at anyone who tried to comfort it.

He could only say her name, hoping against all odds that she recognized him. However, her words left him undone. They rang partially with the truth. Yahiko wanted to learn Kenshin's swordsmanship, the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. He believed with such a style he could protect himself and everyone else he held dear. But Kenshin forced him to learn another swordsman style that could barely outclass the red headed samurai and Yahiko detested the idea of a girl showing him how to fight. It greatly angered him how she beat him up with ease and how she berated his pride by calling him a child. So to get back at her, he defied her. He called her ugly, hag, and a tomboy. He couldn't understand why she defied the ways of being a female. Then, he got to learn more about her and saw that she was once in similar situation as him. Girls who were forced to live by themselves eventually found themselves living with their relatives, getting married or finding work and the work was more degrading and vulgar than anything else; as a prostitute. Kaoru's spirit and willpower was too strong. In fact, he admired her for being able to defend herself and used what she loved as a method to earn money. His admiration was why he began to insult her less and put more time and effort into training to learn the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. She was different from other girls. It was extremely rare to find a swordswoman.

"Go!" he heard her scream at him. "And don't return!" The broom handle was aiming at him. Sloppily, he dodged it. Backing away, he saw the food he carried splattered all over the ground. Kaoru's weeping form gave out and her sobs filled the yard.

"I'm sorry, Kaoru," he whispered to her before turning around and leaving her alone. He would spend the next couple of nights in Akabeko. But before he got there, he was going to inform Dr. Gensai about Kaoru's condition and hopefully the old man with his granddaughters could stay with Kaoru. The least she needed was to be alone.

* * *

The moment her pupil left the dojo, Kaoru forced herself to stand up. Moving slowly to the dojo gates while wiping the stray tears on her face, she pushed the doors with all her might until they were tightly shut. Setting the lock in place, Kaoru moved away from the doors and turned around to stare at the place she called home all her life. A sob escaped her throat as a sight of a red headed samurai scrubbing clothes, a young boy swinging his wooden sword and a rooster head lounging on the dojo stairs appeared in her mind. Furiously shaking her head until strands of raven hair fell loose from her ponytail, Kaoru snatched at the ribbon in her hair and tore it from her locks. She threw it with all her might aside, watching as the seams rip from her favorite ribbon. Unknowingly Kaoru had picked to tie her favorite ribbon on her head. It was the same one she had given to Kenshin when he had to face Jineh. He had returned it to her after Jineh's fight with a blood stain. She spent the remainder of the night scrubbing the red stain off it because the blood reminded her how close she was to losing the rurouni to Battousai.

But the longer Kenshin stayed in the dojo, Kaoru realized that the rurouni and Battousai were one of the same. They made Kenshin who he was, the man she loved. But he didn't love her. She couldn't convince him to love her. Now she was alone. She had driven the last person from her life; Yahiko.

Tossing her messy hair away from her face, Kaoru walked to the deck that led to the doors to get inside her home when she felt a sudden change in the atmoshere. Muscles tensing, Kaoru quickly scanned her surroundings for a weapon, realizing she didn't have a bokken with her. Besides, she was dressed in a white yukuta. However, Kaoru's swordsman style had moves she could use without a weapon readily available. If she was lucky, she could disarm her opponent and use his weapon. Feeling a dark shadow hovering a few feet away from her, Kaoru slowly turned around until the enemy was facing her. She narrowed her eyes as she took in worn wooden sandals, a beaten gray hakama, a black gi, a sword strapped at a waist, long and lean fingers hovering dangerously over the hilt, and a face being shadowed by long midnight hair.

With a sharp voice, Kaoru began her talk with the enemy. "Why are you on my property?"

The tall man unhurriedly lowered himself to pick up the tattered ribbon she ripped from her hair. His fingers curled around the fabric before he got up.

Kaoru cleared her throat while watching the man with wary eyes. "Why are you on my property?"

Thin lips curled into a small smile. "I think that should be obvious."

Kaoru swallowed and refrained to shiver from fear. "If you're looking for Battousai, it's too late. He left."

"That's too bad," the man said as he raised his head. He took a step into the sunlight and Kaoru felt a breath rushed from her chest. Black eyes glittered as they roved her form. "He left his precious treasure unprotected."

Taking a sudden step back, Kaoru's felt her tone wavered. "I don't know what you're talking about."

All of a sudden, the stranger disappeared. Automatically, whirling around to locate the stranger, she jumped when a hot breath whispered in her ear. "He's a fool."

Kaoru whipped around so fast that she leapt backwards into the air, landing on her hands and knees. Quickly she brushed away dark locks that was obscuring her vision. Only he wasn't standing across from her.

"I could see why he's interested in you. You're very spirited," a masculine voice said from next to her. Jolting, Kaoru leaped back. Her hands shifted into fists, her legs were wide apart as she readied herself to fight him with her fists.

The man laughed at her defensive posture. "You really think you stand a chance against me." With slow moves, Kaoru saw how his deadly fingers wrapped around the hilt of his sword. He removed the sword from its sheathe so the hissing sound made Kaoru flinch. "I've seen your moves. The Kamiya Kasshin Ryu is based on defense. Your style is better for close range attacks since you have your enemies attack you instead of attacking them. However, without your sword, you are no better than a sitting duck."

"At least I could still try to fight you no matter the circumstance," Kaoru hissed. Without thinking, she charged at the man, her fist aimed at him. He easily dodged her attack, by taking a step to the side. The dull end of the blade hit the side of her stomach with enough force to make her gasp in pain. But still determined, Kaoru lashed with her other fist. He evaded and hit the back of her head with the hilt of his sword. Jumping back, he watched as Kaoru's form crumpled to the ground.

Shaking, she lifted her upper body using her forearms as support. Even with the blow to the back of her head, she was struggling not to give into darkness. Her blue eyes stared defiantly at him, although she didn't have enough strength to get back on her feet to fight him.

The man's smile turned into a hard one, sharpening his facial features. "You are quite the stubborn one. You are defiant to the end. I can see why Battousai picked you as his woman or why he stayed with you for a long time."

"What are you talking about?" Kaoru asked him. Then the fight drained her body as her shoulders slumped. Her head bowed so that her dark hair shielded her face. "Kenshin doesn't like me. In fact, he left without saying goodbye."

The stranger walked toward her. She was too busy crying to not notice him bending over her. Only his hard and warm fingers curving around her chin forced her out of her misery. He raised her chin until her blue eyes clashed with his black eyes. The grimness settling in the dark depths caused her to hold her breath.

"I've been observing Battousai for five years, waiting for the right moment to exact my revenge on him. I was almost close to killing him three times within this year but I have seen more emotion display across his face than any other time."

Kaoru blinked as droplets escaped her eyes.

He tilted her chin as he moved closer to her. His eyes were mere inches from hers. "From his other travels, he stayed no longer than a couple of weeks depending how long the trouble was. He stayed in your home even after your dojo was saved from Hiruma's final attack. Battousai only remained a long time in this dojo because of you."

Kaoru licked her lips. Apprehension flooded her body when she closed her eyes and exhaled a breath. "I guess I wasn't good enough of a reason for him to stay."

"You're right."

Kaoru opened her eyes, her mouth falling open in surprise.

The man leaned back. Hard edges settled along his mouth and around his eyes. "You could change the way how he sees you. Make him see what he's missing."

Before Kaoru could stop herself, the question left her lips. "How?"

The man let go her chin, standing up to his full height. Kaoru had to lean back until she was gazing at him. He towered over her. His hand went back to the sword she never noticed that he sheathed. Resting one large hand on his sword, a large smile replaced the harsh features on his face.

"Quite simple," he responded. "Become Battousai's equal."

Kaoru gulped in fear. Somehow she had the feeling by asking how she could make herself stand on equal footing with the Battousai was going to change everything in her lifestyle. But another part of her was curious and almost desperate to have the man she loved acknowledge her. It didn't matter if she was appealing Battousai or rurouni. If she could get his attention, there were hopes for him to fall in love with her. She again asked the one word. "How?"

"Let me teach you how to fight at his level."

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. Please review.**


	2. The Mysterious Man

"Let me teach you how to fight at his level." Those words echoed through Kaoru's ears as she placed two cups and a teapot of freshly brewed tea on the table. The mysterious man sat across from her, his long legs folded under him and his hands resting lightly on the kitchen table. She knew that if a sudden situation arose, his right hand would be quick to draw his sword. Depending on his swordsman skill he displayed in the dojo yard and remembering what Kenshin told her about samurais knowing their skill, her skill was beneath his one.

With shaky hands, Kaoru focused all her attention of pouring the hotly tea water in the cups without spilling a drop but a sudden shake caused some liquid to spill from the rim to the side. The hot fluid spread across the table causing her eyes to widen. Mentally, she cursed herself for being self conscious around the man. Only Kenshin made her notice her actions because she tried to act femininely to attract him.

'I was such a failure at that,' Kaoru mentally scolded herself. 'Just like I am failure at serving tea like a simple hostess.'

She could feel the man's stare as she quickly stood up but the lash at her stomach caused her to flinch. The ache swelled at the side of her stomach, below her right breast. She cradled the side of her stomach with her hands as she slowly turned into the kitchen to get a towel to wipe the mess she made on the table. By the time she returned, he was already sipping his tea, waiting for her to sit down before discussing their conversation.

"Not bad," his voice rumbled. "You don't need to add a lot of water because you dilute the flavor of the tea."

Balling her fists on the table and gritting her teeth together, she hissed, "I added more water on purpose so I won't waste my precious tea on the likes of you."

The man chuckled as he put down his tea. Mirth twinkled in his dark eyes for a moment before dispersing. "I see you still have some anger left."

"So," Kaoru said defiantly. "What are you going to do? Take out your sword and slice me to pieces?"

His face darkened at her statement and Kaoru wished her anger didn't make her act recklessly. Kenshin, Sanosuke and Yahiko did spoil her silly with giving her the chance vocalize her opinions. Now that they were gone, she was at the mercy of a complete stranger.

"If I wanted you dead, I would have killed you the moment the boy walked out the dojo," he warned with a dark voice.

"Then why didn't you kill me?" Kaoru asked quietly, feeling the tension brewing in the atmosphere. They were finally getting to the heated part of the discussion where he revealed his true intentions.

"It would be a waste of my time," he answered simply.

Kaoru stared at him with wide eyes. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she tried a different tactic to get some answers. "Why are you still here? Ken- I mean Battousai left here a couple days ago."

"I know."

'Damn it!' Kaoru mentally swore. 'Was the damn stranger going to give her a detailed answer.'

There was a moment of silence as she watched the man's long fingers wrap around the steaming mug of tea. With a graceful movement she envied, he lifted the steaming liquid to his lips. He didn't bother to blow at the hot substance as he took three gulps before setting the cup on the table.

"Did you think about my proposal?" he asked, breaking the quietness that settled in the room. Kaoru still hadn't touch her mug.

"What proposal?"

"The one I mentioned about making you fight at Battousai's equal level."

All of a sudden Kaoru shook her head and began to laugh hysterically. The man watched her with an impassive face while waiting for her to get herself together. "You do realize you're asking for the impossible. Kenshin has been training with his sword style for many years." Kaoru purposely omitted the type of swordsmanship he practiced. "He's quick, accurate, intelligent and deadly with his sword. He's basically a master at handling it."

"Correct."

"And, there's no way in hell I can beat him! Not even if I trained for ten years to fight at his level!"

"You have a point." The man simply intertwined his lean fingers; both of his elbows were on the table. He casually rested his chin on his linked hands. His gaze darkened as he watched her, causing her to wince.

"And, well- you can't train me to defeat him. Okay?"

A small smile lifted at the corner of thin lips. His eyes sparkled with an unknown emotion before he put down his hands. Kaoru watched his actions warily. "I can train you and you can beat him."

"No way."

"Yes."

"How?" Kaoru found herself asking the same question again.

"You already have the advantage over him. And that lies in the fact he can't bring himself to physically hurt you."

Kaoru paused before quickly replying, "You're already too late. He hurt me more than you can imagine."

"He didn't attack you with his sword."

"Well, he didn't have to. Leaving me alone and breaking my trust in him; that's the worst he can do to me." She never saw him move. In a blink of an eye, he was at her side, looming over her with his tall frame. He blocked the evening sunlight from the doorway, casting his shadow over her small form. Kaoru wasn't one to cower easily but with the man proving his lethal skills with handling a sword and the menacing waves pouring from his ki, she found herself scooting away from him. Her body trembled as her eyes widened. He knelt to the floor beside her, his hard hands catching her chin. He raised her head until her blue eyes were gazing into his narrowed black eyes.

"He might have hurt you emotionally but not physically. What I offer you is a way to make him see his greatest mistake." His voice was hard, which sounded like he almost hissed the words from his mouth. Then, the next words he said came out quietly. Kaoru almost didn't hear him. "The same way I did."

"What?" she gasped. Anguish flashed briefly in his eyes before he retreated. From his action, she knew instantly what he was doing. It was the same action Kenshin did when he distanced himself. Stepping back meant he was building walls to hide his emotions. But she wasn't going to let the man retreat behind his walls. He might have the power to take her life but he was still in her home and she had the right to demand for answers. "What do you mean the same way?"

The stranger startled her with his deep intake of breath. He slowly exhaled it when he turned his large back to her. For him to show her his back took guts but Kaoru was more interested in what he was going to say than to attack him. "Don't worry about it."

Kaoru sat up straight. Her sudden movement caused his body to go rigid. "I need to know."

Before she could react, she found herself with the hilt of his sword at her throat. His black eyes bored into hers, daring her to make another demand. Slowly raising her hands in a surrendering motion, she gulped as she waited for his next move. "Please," she begged him. "I am only trying to understand why you're here and why you're not after him."

"Leaving here will only make you more vulnerable," he said.

'Oh, not this again!' Kaoru wailed in her mind.

She tried another approach, proud of herself for keeping a steady voice despite her inner turmoil. "In order for me to make a decision as to whether you can train me, we have to come to a truce; establish a temporary trust between both parties." Finally, she looked at him with a pleading expression. Tears were pooling in her blue eyes. "I just lost my family. I am alone, frightened and I never met you once in my life. Please consider how I feel."

There was a bit of hesitation on his part; Kaoru could see him fighting an internal battle. The moment his hard gaze softened, she knew she gain some ground. He removed the hilt of his sword away from vulnerable throat and with a grace of a cat, walked back to other side of the table. He knelt down, his hands resting on his thighs. Finally, Kaoru let a go a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"How about we begin with your name?"

"Isao," he instantly replied.

Kaoru waited for a last name but he didn't make an attempt to fill in the blank spot. "And your reason for being here?"

"My first motive was to kill him but it changed over time. Now, I am fulfilling a wish that is long overdue."

"A wish?" She asked, perplexed at the sudden change in his motives.

His eyes lowered to the cup laying peacefully before him. She took the opportunity to curl her fingers around her mug and raise it to her lips. Tasting the contents, she was surprised to notice the flavor did not stain her tongue with a certain insipidness. She diverted her attention on him to the dark substance and silently agreed with his comment on how to improve her tea.

His voice tumbled out the next words, making her raise her lashes. "I promise a very special someone to search for a student worthy of training." He didn't elaborate any further.

"And you think this person is me?" Kaoru questioned, lowering her cup on the table. "I think you may have the wrong person. I am an assistant master of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. It's this swordsmanship I will continue to train and master."

The man shook his head while a hard smile cracked his hardened face. "Your swordsman style is strong but you need to add more offensive attacks and add more dynamic skills to oppose Battousai's moves. Also, your ki is another factor we have to train."

Kaoru frowned, considering Isao's words on what she should train if she were to face Battousai. The only problem was if she wanted to see him again. "Maybe if you asked me two days ago, I would have said yes."

"And now?"

"I don't know if I have the heart to see him again. He did something more terrible than anyone could do to me. He betrayed my trust."

"No," Isao's response stopped her from saying anything else. "The worst anyone can do to you is take away your life." He removed his sheathed sword from his side and placed it gently on the table. "A samurai lives by the sword and dies by the sword. However, with the end of Edo era, samurais' swords were forsaken, their livelihoods lost." He gestured to his sword. "This is my livelihood as Battousai's sword is his one."

"If taken, then..."

"We both lose our way. This is the path we have chosen. And the question remains what you want to do with your life."

For the first time, Kaoru really stared at the mysterious swordsman in front of her. She was reminded of herself as a child taking philosophy lessons with her father when he first began teaching her the importance of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. "Why does my choice matter?"

"For one, Battousai is an idiot to leave you alone, thinking you will be protected without his presence in your home. His enemies already know who you are and you have become a target for them. And two, you now have the freedom of choice."

Her face scrunched up at the man's words. "Hey! What are you trying to say?"

"Think of it in this manner. How many times did Battousai allow you to participate in any of his fights? How many secrets have he kept from you? Most of all, are you sure your feelings are reciprocated?"

Kaoru's hands clenched into fists as she stood up. She glared daggers at the swordsman who seemed to know a lot information on her but she knew so little about him in return.

"As I see it, you will benefit more from the training than anyone else."

"Why do you say that?" Kaoru asked through gritted teeth. She tried her best to keep her temper in check but her hands itched to have a bokken so she could smash Isao's head with it.

"Because you have two options in your favor." His next words diffused her fury. "You can improve your swordsmanship to face Battousai as a rival or you can learn swordsmanship to gain your independence. It's your pick."

He stood up from the other side of the table but she was too astonished by the points he made during their discussion. Simply, he glided passed her, his larger frame whisking by her. "I will return to find out your answer," his words rang in the open air.

* * *

Twelve years ago Isao was a man with a narrow mind. He ate, slept and trained all day with his sword. Living people were second to him. Only the ghosts of those who died during the Bakumatsu haunted his dreams. He had one desire and that was to slay hitokiri the Battousai with his own bloody hands. But first he wanted to master a special swordsmanship that rivaled the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. It took a combination of observing other battles, whether it was watching fist fights, sword duels or watching how ninjas blended within the shadows. During his study of other techniques, he realized he had a photographic memory and with the evaluation he was able to combine different attacks to make complex ones. However, he wasn't ready to face Battousai in a head on battle. There was something missing from his swordsman style; passion, fury, spirit. He didn't know what it was so he decided to trace Battousai's whereabouts and follow him from the shadows. During his watchful times, he was astounded and disappointed to discover what the red haired swordsman had become; a samurai spouting meaningless ideals for a peaceful era.

What peaceful era?

How does a sword protect people without killing enemies?

So Isao turned his back on Battousai, deeming the samurai was an unworthy opponent. He hired a trained warrior to keep tabs on the worthless rurouni while he continued to train to get stronger. In Kyoto, he met another man with another ideal, "the strong live and the weak die." This ideal sounded superb, close to the motto samurais followed but he still felt there was something missing in his swordsmanship. And then he found the answer in one swordswoman. To fight, to become stronger, a person had to have the willpower to live. The willpower was considered to be the person's spirit or also known as ki. If one could master ki, then anything in fighting could become possible. He had seen some miraculous events with exploding a person's spirit, freezing their lungs, slicing objects and putting them together, and more. He made a bargain with her to learn about ki. In the end, she was another tool to get what he desired.

After mastering ki, he left her without glancing back. One year later, he discovered a rumor about her horrible death and for the first time since the death of his family, his heart stung. He mourned over her and visited her grave to check if the rumors were true. Even now, saying her name felt like a weight was pressed on his chest.

He continued to pursue Battousai but on a more discrete level and within the last year, he finally settled down in Tokyo, near Akabeko joint. He was able to keep his enemy close as he watched the red headed samurai built a family, rescued the weak and established a place called home. And within the one year, Isao had grown to hate the man because he realized how much of a fool he was. Enishi Yukishiro's actions, a fellow accomplice, had taught him how useless his attempts of revenge became. Even if Isao was fortunate to kill Battousai, he couldn't revive his lost family, or change the years he wasted with training, and he certainly regretted leaving her (the name was too painful to say) more than anyone else. He lost his chance at making his own family.

"You really are a fool, Battousai," he mumbled. Isao blended in the shadows as he made his destination to the restaurant Battosuai frequented with his companions. There was a huge crowd of people cheering, chatting, eating and drinking gaily. The noise could be heard through the wooden panels of the restaurant. He walked to the main sliding door where a waitress greeted the customers in front of him. Gathering the ki around him, he manipulated it so she wouldn't have noticed him. She let him follow the couple she led to the section they would be dining, but to her, he was another customer already eating at one of the other tables. He took the table in the corner, where one server was designated to wait on the customers. People shoved by, not noticing his presence; except one.

A familiar ki brushed his own, like a flutter of butterflies. He lifted his head, his black eyes narrowing on a young brunette waitress timidly making her way through the room. She must have felt his gaze because she turned to face him. But instead of seeing fear flash through her brown eyes, there was a warmth that he thought he would never get from another living person. She smiled and made her way to the table, maneuvering herself in tight spaces to get to him.

Her ki shimmered brightly, pulsing against his own. He began to cough, his body stiffening as his hand covered his mouth. A frown appeared on her young face before she reached into her apron's pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. "Are you okay, Mr. Isao?" the young waitress asked.

He took the handkerchief from her awaiting hand and coughed lightly into it. Discretely, when his coughing subsided, he folded the handkerchief and put it into his gi. He briefly smile at the pretty girl as not to cause her to worry about him. "I'm fine."

She stooped down to inspect him carefully before a smile blossomed on her pink lips. "Okay. What will you like to order?"

"The usual, " he said. "Except add an extra side order of stew beef."

The brunette girl frowned again. "Are you going on one of your missions again?"

"No," he replied. "I will be taking it for someone else."

The girl's astonishment flittered on her pretty face, because he always attended Akabeko alone. "Oh, okay."

The girl turned around and was about to go into the kitchen to announce his order to the kitchen staff but Isao stopped her. "And thank you, Tsubame."

* * *

Akabeko didn't get rowdy customers until nightfall. The young waitress was fortunate to retire for the day and let the grown women handle the tough customers for the late shift. Sometimes, Tae, the owner of Akabeko had Sanosuke, a rough street fighter, in the restaurant to keep thugs in their place. However, recently he left, leaving Yahiko to act as a bodyguard for the night shift workers. Tusbame eyebrows scrunched together as she wondered how he was doing. He returned to Akabeko looking sick and pale. When Tae asked him what happened, he excused himself to one of the private bedrooms Tae kept for her workers. He hadn't come out of his room since then.

Tsubame was about to remove her apron when she felt a familiar presence walked into Akabeko. Instead of taking off her apron to give to Tae, she walked back into the main room where customers were enjoying their meals to see the mysterious man she had grown to know for the past year, sitting in the shadowy corner of the room, observing everything from a safe distance.

Knowing the layout well in Akabeko, Tsubame used the safest route to get to the man's table. She squeezed through hordes of drunk men, passed a cheerful group of women until she made it to her destination. But his coughing fit alerted her that something wasn't right. It wasn't her first time giving him a handkerchief. She had given him some before and he always made it a habit to return them to her after they were cleaned. Although, during his recent visits, he had been coughing more. Whenever she asked him about his health, he said it was nothing. She hoped he was okay, because he was one of the best customers she had the privilege to interact with.

After their little conversation, she couldn't help but be surprised at the fact the he asked for an extra side order of food for someone else. Usually he ate alone. Maybe he made a new friend. As she entered the kitchen, she saw the kitchen staff moving brusquely while preparing food. She announced the order to the staff, who nodded their to notified her they heard her.

"Aren't you going to retire for the night, Tsubame?" she heard a feminine polite tone inquired.

"I will after I deliver the last order of food to a customer," she replied with a small smile as she looked at her employer.

"I think you should take the rest of the night off. You've been working here since sunrise," her employer suggested.

"I know but I will serve this one last customer and then head upstairs," she assured Tae. The woman, dressed in a plain gray kimono with an apron over her womanly form, appeared displeased. Then a voice broke their conversation.

"Ms. Tsubame? The food is ready." Tsubame was about to grab the tray with the food when Tae beat her to it. Lifting the tray, she hurried out with it in the main dining floor. Tsubame rushed after her employer, persisting that she would serve her last customer.

"Where is your customer?" her employer asked as she surveyed the whole area. Tusbame pointed into a certain corner of the room. Tae nodded and headed toward the shadowy area but she paused. Tsubame noticed when the older woman stopped walking.

"What happened?" she asked with concern marring her face.

"I don't see anyone sitting there?"

"Are you sure?" Tsubame questioned as she walked beside her employer. "I know he was sitting there a moment ago."

"Well, he isn't there anymore," Tae assured her. Tsubame grabbed the tray of food from her employer and returned into the kitchen. There were questioning glances from the kitchen staff as she searched for containers and cloths to put away the food. Once she finished wrapped the food containers with the cloths, she removed her apron and put it aside. She piled the food on top of one another before wrapping her arms around them.

"What are you doing? Where are you going?" Tae urgently asked her. She stepped in front of the young waitress.

"I'm going after him," Tsubame replied simply.

"You can't go out there right now. It's getting late!" Tae protested. She held out her arms to stop the girl from passing her. "Besides, how are you going to find him?"

"I have to at least try to give him his food," Tsubame said as she walked around her employer.

"Tsubame!" Tae warned, but she was already too late. The brunette girl with an armful of food dashed out into dark streets looking for an unknown customer.

* * *

 **Hello readers. Thank you so much for your comments on the first chapter. There were two reviewers I couldn't respond to and I apologize about that. I will like to say thank you _Starrlighter_ and _Guest_. To Starrlighter's comment, I understand how you feel about Kaoru's pain. I felt sad when Kaoru had to deal with Kenshin leaving the dojo to go to Kyoto, although I think this one was more painful because Kenshin didn't say goodbye in person and he left with Sanosuke and Megumi. Yahiko did have the hurtful remarks coming to him because Kaoru lashed at him when she was feeling hurt. To Guest's comment, thank you so much for your encouraging review. Although this chapter did have a lot of dialogue, I hope you still enjoyed reading it. In fact I hope all of you, as readers, enjoyed reading it.**

 **Also, Isao is my own original character and he has a past that is intertwined with Kenshin's past. You will see what I mean in the next chapters. I just wanted to add some mystery but at the same time I reveal some stuff about him so you can understand his character. I hope you like him. I think he's a pretty cool character.**

 **Plus, thank you so much to the readers who added this story on their favorite and follow list. As a personal note, I plan to have the next chapter posted by Sept. 20. And I have posted a new Rurouni Kenshin story on Wattpad under _d-d_dreamer_ , which I won't be able to post here due to the mature content that I will include in it. The story is called "Kyoto Arc" and is basically a darker version of Kaoru having a dark family past that is discovered by none other than Shishio Makoto. Soujiro sets up a plan to have Kenshin meet Kaoru in Tokyo, which puts Kaoru at a conflict to choose Shishio's side or Kenshin's side during the Kyoto Arc events.**

 **Thank you for reading. Please review.**


	3. Unease

The moment Isao's aura disappeared from the Kamiya dojo, Kaoru could breathe properly. She ran to the main dojo gates, locking it to make sure he couldn't get in. But witnessing his skills, she knew he could easily get into the dojo if he wanted. He could jump the gates or travel by rooftop. And he was definitely returning to her place to get an answer from her.

Placing her hands on one of the doors to steady herself, Kaoru stared at the main dojo gates before shaking her head. She leaned her forehead against it to hear a tapping sound. Raising her head, she stepped back to suspiciously stare at the doors. The jerking motions startled her and she almost ran in the direction of her room. For once she wished Kenshin and the others were here to protect her.

With a hesitant voice, she called out to whomever was knocking the doors on the other side. At first, she didn't hear any response but there was a firm thumping on the wooden doors to notify her there was indeed someone waiting for her on the other side. Shaky fingers removed the lock and she found herself slowly opening one of the door. She made sure to crack it to see the person who was bothering her.

'Please don't let it be Isao,' she mentally begged. The man's intensity frightened her. But who she saw shocked her and she absolutely wanted to take back her wish. She rather Isao than the man standing outside her home with a cigarette tucked between thin lips and smoke defiling the air around her.

"Saito," she said softly.

"Raccoon girl," he greeted collectedly while tilting his head, but there was a flash of mockery in his golden eyes that made Kaoru's hands itched for her bokken to hit him on his head.

"If you're looking for Himura, he's gone," Kaoru said with a dull and flat tone.

"So you're on a last name basis with Battousai?" Saito asked as he put long and lean fingers against the door. With little strength, he pushed the door open and Kaoru had no choice but to step aside and let him into her home.

"I want to hear nothing about him. Unless you're here on some other business, I expect you to leave," she demanded with a stomp of her foot to clearly emphasize her words.

"No, I'm here on different business," he remarked as his golden eyes began scanning her dojo, taking in the shabbiness of the place. His eyes paused on the inscriptions in the dojo and he shook his head. He removed the cigarette from his mouth and exhaled a large puff of smoke. Kaoru's face scrunched with his action.

"Do you mind? You're smoking is leaving stale air in my home."

"In fact I do. Now, without Battousai, there is no other reason for anyone else to be here." Saito looked down at her from his intimidating height. Kaoru retreated from him, giving him ample space. But the flash of contempt in golden eyes made her feel wary.

Then she stopped herself. The officer was in her home and he couldn't do anything to her without evidence. "I don't need their protection anyway. If you didn't check, I am the assistant master of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu," she said while she stood up straight. She assumed he was talking about the rooster head and her young pupil. As for the other people who wandered into her home to ask for Kenshin, no, Himura for his assistance was a different matter.

Saito's lips twisted into a smirk. "What happened? You weren't good enough to hold Battousai's attention?"

If Isao didn't mention something similar during their earlier conversation, Saito's remark would have hurt her. Maybe she was learning to accept the fact that her affections weren't enough to refrain the swordsman from wandering. Sometimes a person who found forgiveness in others couldn't find forgiveness in one self. And the truth was, she forgave Himura for his past because he didn't kill anyone in the present. But she was an innocent. He never took the life of anyone dear to her. Probably the forgiveness he sought were from those his dark actions affected, like Isao.

And Kaoru frowned at where her trail of thought was leading her. Himura wasn't gone for more than a couple of days and she was already having a change of heart. Could she be siding with Isao? She shook her head to clear her mind.

"Did I hit a nerve?" Saito asked, noticing her silence. He pulled the cigarette out of his mouth, dabbed the end of it against his gloved fingers before tossing it on the floor.

"Is that really necessary?" Kaoru returned a question with a question of her own. She sort of had an inkling of an idea why Saito was in her home. He was there to loathe on the fact that Himura and the others weren't around to protect her as she distastefully watched his cigarette littered her yard.

"What will you do?"

"I'll pick it up after you leave," Kaoru returned with a forced smile.

Saito shook his head and scanned the dojo's premises once more. "He may not be around the dojo but that won't stop his nemeses from attacking it." He spun on his heel, reaching into his police uniform jacket to pull out another cigarette. "He left his mark here, that idiot."

He barely said the last words out loud, which had Kaoru wondering if she imagined it. She chose to ignore him as she watched his exit with delight. But he paused mid-step between the dojo gates. "I guess that leaves me to watch over this place."

He astonished her to point she didn't know how to respond. Then he left; his tall frame disappearing into the darkness of the pathway leading to running river and a bridge that would take anyone out of Tokyo. For a moment, Kaoru saw the silhouette of Himura's frame departing from the dojo and she blinked her eyes.

'He chose to leave for his own vendetta,' Kaoru mentally reminded herself. She bent down to pick up the cigarette that Saito carelessly threw on the floor. 'The stupid officer didn't even step on it. My home can catch on fire!'

But it was his casual slip which made Kaoru realize how much she loved her home. Even if the samurai and the others weren't with her anymore, the dojo was her home and she couldn't imagine living without it.

A small smile filtered across her face. She gazed around the dojo with a new appreciation. Her world didn't simply end with the departing of a couple people. And she imagined how proud Megumi would be of her for acting maturely since she didn't have the woman to presently offer her advice.

'Besides, I can't follow Kenshin, no, I mean Himura because he never told me where he was going.' And if by some miracle she decided to pack her stuff and make a trip to wherever he was, he would be upset like he was when she blindly followed him into Kyoto.

She held the end of the cigarette between her fingers, careful as not to touch the lit part. She waved it into the air to see the tip of it flash before dulling. Frowning, she moved the cigarette but the tip was still lit. She dropped the cigarette on the floor and stepped on it with one of her slippers to see the tip was dark. Automatically, she was greeted with small dance of smoke.

'Gosh! How can that insufferable man smoke these things?' she mentally asked herself as she retrieved the disgusting item and took it inside to throw it in the trash.

With nothing else to do, she walked around her home and lit the lamps since it was getting dark outside. She took one lamp and sat on the porch of the dojo while taking a moment to look up into clear and peaceful sky. She inhaled and exhaled a breath as she chewed on her bottom lip. The one thing she was trying to avoid thinking about came back with a vengeance. Isao's question about learning to fight was baffling.

From what she learned about the mysterious man, she still had yet to learn his true objective with teaching her how to wield a sword on Himura's level. What she recalled was he made a promise to someone with taking on a student to teach. Who was the person he made the promise to? And if she learned the swordsmanship, what was she suppose to do with it? Most likely she was going to stay in Tokyo and hopefully move on with her life. She knew she desired one thing in her life; to have her own family.

And her situation was an irony. Himura gave her a family, perhaps one not by blood, but he formed one.

There was a high pitch noise that etched the night's sky and Kaoru found herself standing up and scanning the place around her. The high pitch turned into a wail and she did not hesitate to dash inside the practice room to get one of her bokkens. She dashed to the gates and opened it to be greeted with an empty and dark street. However, there were quick footsteps moving toward her direction. In the brief light from one of the street lamps, Kaoru saw a distressed girl dressed in a gray kimono with a handful of packages run by her. Tagging behind her were four large men jeering at her. Their mocking laughter caused Kaoru to tighten her grip on her weapon. Her facial features contorted to a grim expression.

She didn't think about her next course of action. It came naturally from all the years of kendo training with her father and the fact that she couldn't be a bystander in a dangerous situation. She trailed after the leering laughers. She made distinctive turns in alleyways and swirled around objects, noting in her mind how she followed Yahiko in the backstreets with Himura while spying on him. Only the people who lived in Tokyo all their lives would know the backstreets of the rougher neighborhood.

Finally, she reached her destination as she saw, due to brighter street lamps, four men huddled around a petite form. The girl was quivering from fear, her arms wrapped tightly about some bundles. She backed up against a wall as the foul men called out to her.

"Aw, baby. Where do you think you're running to?" the man with a long black beard asked.

"Why not have a fun night with us? We'll make it worth your while," another man with spiky hair and beefy hands said.

The young girl violently shook her head. She hid her face beneath her precious bundles.

"Don't be like that, babe. We'll show you a good time," the third man teased and stretched his hands to her. The other man wearing strange western clothing simply stayed back to assess the situation.

The girl's eyes widened and she shuffled against the wall to move away from those hands. Kaoru couldn't watch the scene the anymore and dived in between the men. But she wasn't prepared for what happened next. The girl peered at her through messy dark hair and her wrapped packages. Kaoru halted, her body stiffening and her breath catching as the girl who stared back at her was none other than Tsubame.

* * *

Yahiko had a tough day since he returned from the Kamiya dojo. One look from Tae told him he looked disheveled and disgruntled. She let him pass by her without asking questions to go and rest in one of the rooms she set aside for Akabeko workers. But Tsubame was the worst one to try and dodge; he didn't know how to lie to her. She was expecting him to return to Akabeko with good news, only he had none to share. How could he tell her he was unwelcomed in the dojo? Could he return there tomorrow with the expectations of continuing to learn the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu?

Swiping a hand through his already messy hair, he sighed. Tomorrow he would try to make amends with his teacher. After all, she lashed on him while she was feeling hurt. However, some of her words rang true and he couldn't help but feel disheartened and remorseful to how he treated her. Kaoru wasn't ugly. He only called her that to get back at her for calling him a child or making him do five hundred swings with his bokken during kendo practice. Although she was a tomboy, he rather have her teach him how to fight rather than Kenshin or Sanosuke. He always felt to be able to fight like them, he had to train like hellhounds were after his heels.

Besides, he was working more hours at Akabeko in the hopes to earn more money and use it to help Kaoru with purchases in the household. He knew how hard she supported him, Kenshin, and Sanosuke after taking them in. Word spread through the Tokyo community how the kendo instructor begged for jobs at the rivaling dojos and how she purposely took other domestic or selling jobs to make more money. He recalled her taking a cleaning job on a ship to earn money. And the mannish side of him was completely against her having to look for other jobs to support them. His father taught him that a man was suppose to be the provider for his family, not the other way around.

He took one step toward the stair when he felt a gaze on him. Turning around, he caught a glimpse of short brown hair before the person shifted into Akabeko's main dining area. He shook his head as he realized that Tsubame saw him. He would have to prepare himself to get a full interrogation from her later.

A small smile crept on his lips while he walked up the remainder of the stairs into one of the available rooms. Tsubame appeared to be timid and shy but she was a completely different person when she was around the people she felt comfortable with. He was shocked when she faced him with a glare on her lovely face for forgetting to serve one of their customers. After that incident, she deemed him unworthy of being a waiter. Instead, she took it upon herself to be a role model waitress.

Another factor which completely baffled him was the relationship she had with her customers. She smiled and greeted them warmly. She had friends who visited during and off working hours. When she dressed with one of her nice kimonos to hang out with her friends, he found he was perplexed that the shy girl had a life outside work.

Again, he shook his head at the brunette girl who took up his mind these days. In a way he considered it was a blessing in disguise that he didn't go with Kenshin, Sanosuke and Megumi to Aizu. If he did, imagine all the time he would miss spending with Tsubame. Sometimes he thought his greatest fear would be to lose his family and her.

'Well, I lost most of my family,' he thought to himself. 'I'm not going to lose her and I have to find some way to apologize to Kaoru because she's the only family member I have left.'

He shut the shoji behind him with his foot and removed his gi with his hands. He flinched at the sight of his wound, noticing how deep the scab looked and the purplish, reddish mark forming around it. He moved to the side of the bed and picked a box with medicine and bandages Megumi left for him. The doctor predicted that he and Kaoru were going to get hurt and since she wasn't going to be there to nurse them to full health, she gave him top notch medical supplies. He was grateful to the doctor, although there were times she could be overbearing, especially where Kenshin was concerned.

Yahiko reached for the bandages. Seeing a bowl of fresh water, he ripped off a piece of bandage and dipped it into the water. He used the wet bandage to wipe away the blotchy blood around his scab. When his wound was cleaned, he carefully wrapped the bandage around his torso. In a way, he felt like he was Sanosuke who was always adorned with bandages.

As he finished the last touches with tying bandage at his waist, there was a rough knock on the shoji. He glanced up and scowled at the darkness creeping into the room. Outside his room, he noticed that Tae lit the lamps for the workers staying the night, only he noticed her outline on the other side of his shoji.

Another rapid of knocks notified him she was waiting for him to address her. "Yes," he said.

"Yahiko, I apologize for bothering you," she said but there was a bit of urgency in her tone.

"It's okay," he assured her. "Is something wrong?"

"I know you're suppose to be on guard duty tonight, but Tsubame left in a rush to go after some customer."

Hearing Tsubame's name made him stand tall. He extended his hand to one of the clean gis that Tsubame usually left him for work. She always kept them on his futon. "Is it one of her regular customers?" he questioned with a rough voice. Was he feeling jealous?

"Yes, it's one of her regular customers but-." Yahiko sensed the hesitancy in her voice.

"But what?"

"She left at such an awkward time of the night. I fear it's not safe for her to travel alone."

He walked to the window and peered out into the darkness. The night's air seemed chilled. The sky was a bit of cloudy but he could make out some of the stars.

"You're right," he agreed with Tae's remark. "Give me a minute."

He put on his gi and tied a firm knot at his waist. When the gi felt secure on his form, he reached for the extra bokken he kept at Akabeko for his nightly jobs. He opened the shoji to see Tae standing to one side. There was concern look on her face.

"I'm fine," he told her. "I will search for her."

"Please make sure she's alright."

He nodded his head and passed his employer. He hurried downstairs and made his way through the group of women filling the kitchen. Automatically, he knew they were the females who worked the night shift at Akabeko. He squeezed himself through them and kept his gaze on the floor to prevent himself from blushing. The waitresses at night were quite attractive but the way they wore their kimonos was considered improper and he didn't want to get any sort of attention from them. Besides, he was a teenager and they were interested in grown up men like Sanosuke.

For a moment, he wondered if Sanosuke missed doing the bodyguard duty in the night. He did mention he got a lot of attention from the waitresses and Megumi bopped him on the head for the stupid remark. But Yahiko knew the doctor didn't like hearing him talk about other women.

Finally, Yahiko made it to the door leading outside and he sighed. There was hardly anyone on the streets, which made him glower. Why would Tsubame rush out into the night with a customer's order? It was so unlike her to travel late at night without his company.

He sauntered into dark streets in search for her.

* * *

Elsewhere, three weary travelers stopped in a village called Nikko. They were fortunate enough to get a ride on a wagon due to the fact that the red haired swordsman stopped bandits from robbing a merchant. The merchant was grateful for the assistance and in return he allowed them to travel in his wagon as he made his way to the village that was quickly becoming popular as a mountain resort. The weary travelers got out of the wooden wagon filled with expensive merchandise as the merchant made a stop at an inn.

"Thank you so much," the merchant said as he bowed low to the red haired man.

"This unworthy one is glad to be of help," said the samurai with long red hair tied at the nape of his neck. Unconsciously, he wrapped his fingers around his reverse blade sword to make sure it was at his hip. A cool breeze hit his body and he refrained himself from tugging the two ends of his magenta gi together.

"Thank you," the merchant said again before standing up and beaming at the man. "Tomorrow I pack my last supplies for my trip to Aizu. You and your friends are more than welcome to travel with me." Another breeze swept past the four forms and the merchant clutched a hantan around his form to keep warm. "I will be leaving." The man climbed upon his wagon and seated himself in the driver's section. He pulled at the reins and directed the horses to go straight. With neighs, the horses shook their massive heads and began trotting down the empty street.

"Do you think it's a good idea to let him go without any protection?" the tall man wearing white clothes with the sign of bad of his back asked.

"I think we have enough journeying for one day, Sanosuke," the elegant woman answered him. She rubbed her hands along her arms covered by the long sleeves of her kimono. Apparently the cool winds were getting through the tough material of her kimono and haori. She glanced at the samurai who seemed too quiet all of a sudden. "Sir Ken, what do you think?"

The samurai kept his eyes hidden behind the veil of red bangs. He didn't respond to the woman's question.

"Kenshin?" Sanosuke moved to stand next to him while he eyed the road. Somehow he knew Kenshin's act meant he sensed something dangerous.

The smaller man's body stiffened with alert before he raised his head. A pleasant wanderer's smile overtook his grim facial features. "This unworthy one agree with Ms. Megumi, that I do."

"You see you rooster head," Megumi affirmed before she turned her back on the males and headed inside the warm inn. Sanosuke grumbled something unintelligible under his breath but he didn't make any moves to follow the doctor. Instead he stayed by Kenshin's side.

"Is everything alright?" he questioned his friend.

Kenshin didn't answer.

"Come on. We both know when you become serious, you sense something bad is about to happen."

"Ah," the smaller man replied. "This unworthy one has a bad feeling."

"About the merchant's wagon?" Sanosuke asked as he crossed his large arms over his broad chest.

"No." Kenshin paused before tilting his head to look at the stars. "Something bad is taking place in Tokyo."

Sanosuke let out a breath. "You're worried about missy."

"This unworthy one can't help but feel like I'm making a mistake but it can be just my guilt."

Sanosuke uncrossed his arms and slapped Kenshin on the back. "Don't worry. We both know missy is strong."

Kenshin hesitated before he smiled. "You're right," he finally said.

"That's the spirit. Now let's get out of the cold," Sanosuke said. He waited for Kenshin to walk by him. He looked up into dark sky and whispered words he hoped that Kenshin didn't hear. "I hope you're okay, missy."

* * *

 **Well, here the third chapter ends. I don't know how it came out but I hope it's written okay. Since school began, my schedule has been difficult so I can't exactly say when to expect a new chapter. The best time to check will be October 20. I hope to have a chapter or two updated by then.**

 **Once again, thank you readers for reading. And most of all, thank you readers for reviewing, and adding this story to your favorite's or follow's list. And for those who review, I make it a habit to always reply back unless it's an anonymous. Those reviews are hard to respond too.**

 **Please comment.**


	4. Kaoru

There were four large men, as tall as Sanosuke, but bulkier than him. Sinewy muscles budged under their gis. Only one man wore western clothing. They crackled their knuckles as they chuckled about the sudden change of events. From experience, Kaoru knew a year ago she stood a good chance of facing each opponent and coming out with a fair amount of bruises and a couple of broken bones. But this time, she couldn't predict her outcome. Maybe she could take out two of the four men but she was going to either end up with many broken bones or be knocked out.

'I can't protect the both of us,' Kaoru mentally thought. 'Which means I lapsed in my year of training.'

It was true. Himura was the one who came last minute to her rescue. Under his protection, no one could physically touch her.

'Only he's not here.'

There were no flowery words or steely eyes to hide beneath long red bangs. She couldn't stand behind someone and offer words of support. Instead, the tables turned. She was the protector and Tsubame was the one who needed protecting. Only how was she going to battle four burly men with no escape routes?

Kaoru's hands tightened on her bokken as she switched into a defensive position. Her feet spread apart, planted firmly on the ground. She parted her hands until she could maneuver her bokken with great ease. Her eyes narrowed as she assessed the scene before her. The man with the western clothing seemed to be hovering back as if he was carefully watching everything; a flash of calculation glinting in his deadly eyes. Three men moved before him. Her eyes widened a fraction. That man must be their leader.

"Tsubame," she called to girl behind her.

"Y-ye-s," the frightened girl answered with a shaky voice.

"No matter what happens, I need you to stay behind me," she admonished. "And if I'm incapable of fighting these men, run to the dojo."

"Y-e-ss…"

Kaoru narrowed her gaze. She hoped with all her heart that Isao returned from wherever he went and he would protect the innocent waitress.

Her father's voice revved in her head. His words, for some reason, were a reminder of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu's meaning.

"I want to beat people. I want to be able to defend myself because other girls can't do that!" A younger version of an enthusiastic Kaoru cheered in the dojo yard. Her father had watched with careful eyes as she practiced her katas.

"Kaoru," her father said with infinite patience born from training so many eager students. "The Kamiya Kasshin Ryu is not a sword style to use for selfish means. It's a sword style to protect those who can't protect themselves."

"Yeah, but am I not protecting myself too?" Kaoru stopped her bokken in mid strike and glanced at her father. He sat cross-legged on the porch as his eyes were shut. A gust of wind passed through the air, blowing at her long hair. She swiped the heavy and dark locks away from her sweaty face.

"The Kamiya Kasshin Ryu does protect you as a sword wielder but your strength comes from those who you are trying to protect."

"Are you sure about that? Doesn't the strength come from ourselves because we are fighting for our lives?"

"No," her father said. Kaoru blinked at him. "The moment you find you are fighting for yourself, your opponent has already won the battle."

"What do you mean?" Kaoru dropped her wooden sword on the ground. It bounced before it rolled and lay uselessly at her feet.

He sighed. "The moment you start fighting for yourself, you have given into the monster that wants to take a life."

"I still don't get it, dad."

"When you fight to win base on your needs, you forget that all life is precious. What is the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu's motto?"

"To protect life."

"Your opponent's life matter as well. But if you desperately have to beat him or her, it means you will kill him or her."

Kaoru's eyes widened. She ran to her dad and dropped on her knees before him. "No! I don't want to kill anyone!"

"You won't kill anyone, my little Kaoru," her father comforted her. He brushed a hand through her hair before he affectionately patted her head. "As long as you remember that the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu protects those who needs it and your opponent from death, you will use the swordsman style the right way."

Her father's style was meant to protect all life. He had trained her to endure pain inflicted by opponents while she restrained her strength and energy to hurt her enemies without taking their lives. The vital points were their elbows, knees, private area, the sides of their neck, their wrists, and their ankles. Without proper functioning of the joints, a person temporarily loses the advantage of the fight.

Kaoru inhaled a breath. The muscles in her body relaxed as the grip on her bokken loosened. Her mind was clearer. She let her breath go. Her eyes drifted shut as a slow smile spread across her lips. Kaoru might play at being reckless, instinctive, and moral but her placid state and her stance reveal the truth.

Kaoru could fight at whatever was the cost.

* * *

Two male occupants were to share one room in the inn while the female occupant had her own room. It was only right that the female had private space for many reasons but one of the most important reasons had to do with what the foxy woman would do to the men while they were sleeping.

An angry face with a bokken raised in the air caused Kenshin to shiver. "Oro," he muttered to himself as the image left as fast it popped into his mind.

Miss Kaoru would be very unhappy indeed, only he couldn't help but wonder why he thought of her at a time like this. It was considered inappropriate because for a male to think of a female at night led him to think of some rather….

Kenshin shook his head. He didn't think of Miss Kaoru beyond someone who was his ally and someone to protect. Besides, he couldn't allow himself the luxury of getting too close to anyone. Everyone around him was either severely hurt or wounded up dead. He couldn't allow such a fate to happen to Miss Kaoru. She was too innocent and too sweet besides her fighting spirit. He could never forgive himself if he returned to path of bloodshed while she was with him.

No, her ideals were to remain his motivation, his drive to continue to walk the path of a wanderer. He would protect her from everyone, including himself.

And again, he had to wonder why he thought of her. Silently, he got to his feet and walked toward the shoji. He opened it with careful hands so as not to wake the snoring Sanosuke on his futon from the other side of the room. A tepid breeze made it's way into the room but he didn't mind the sudden assault against his exposed skin. Instead, he tilted his head to the sky and watched as the moon glowed eerily amongst the clouds.

"Kenshin," he could almost hear Kaoru's voice calling out to him as clearly as Sano's snores. He closed his eyes as he leaned against the side of the shoji's frame. He put his hands into his gi.

"Kenshin," the voice said again but from a different place. A young woman with long black hair tied in high ponytail glanced at him over her shoulder. A bright smile greeted him. Her blue eyes sparkled with mirth. "Isn't it beautiful?" she asked. She twirled around in a circle and Kenshin almost forgot to breathe. The royal blue kimono with butterflies accentuated her eyes. It also brought out the clear curves that Kenshin preferred to hide under bulky clothes like the gi and hakama. The black obi tied at her waist reminded him how small Miss Kaoru was compared to him. How fragile she was.

"Ahh… It is beautiful, Miss Kaoru," he said lightly.

Her eyes shined brighter than the stars in the night sky. Her smiled widened even more as she ran to him. All of all sudden, she tripped over the long hem of her kimono and was about to fall on the ground but Kenshin used his god like speed to get to her. He gently but firmly grabbed at her forearms. But he was unprepared for what her closeness did to his senses. Her face pressed against his throat. He could feel the softness of her lips against the side of his neck.

He trembled as he stepped back and forced a pleasant smile on his lips. The look in her eyes almost made him groan.

'No, don't give in. This unworthy one does not deserve her,' he reminded himself.

And before he knew what he was doing, he turned away from her. He showed her his back, but he didn't miss how her smile dimmed or how the light faded from her eyes. He cursed himself for bringing sadness into her life and how because of him she could never have the chance to live a normal life. Not when enemies were constantly searching for him due to his bloody past.

'She deserves so much better than me,' he thought.

Which brought him out of his daze. Clearly in front of him, he saw another image of Kaoru wearing a gi and hakama. Her hair was tied in its usual high ponytail. Only this time she was wielding a bokken. Fire flashed in her blue eyes. She was in a stance evidently used for fighting.

'No! Miss Kaoru should never have to fight against other people,' he denied. 'She should be happy and safe at home.'

Then why did he feel dread building in his stomach? Why was he only thinking of her tonight?

'Could she be in trouble?' His instincts never failed him when something was wrong. Apparently, his instincts were on high alert about Kaoru. Maybe it was a better idea if he could get word to her without notifying his whereabouts.

Nodding his head at the idea of writing a letter, he pulled his hands from his gi and made his way back to the room he shared with Sanosuke to get some writing utensils. He was going to write her a letter and have it sent to the police station in Tokyo. Saito was back and he could contact Kaoru. It was the least Saito could do since he was working for the police. With his mindset, Kenshin focused on his task while he tried his best not to worry about a certain kendo teacher he left in Tokyo.

* * *

Yahiko stopped in his tracks as he bent over to catch his breath. He had been running around the back streets of Tokyo in search of Tsubame. The girl was obviously quick enough to evade many pedestrians. Whenever he asked someone if they saw a young girl with short hair pass by them, he received many baffled looks. The ones who saw the girl of his description led him on a wild goose chase. Clearly, he didn't know where to find her and he just had the urge to stop off at the Kamiya dojo to see if she was there.

Maybe Tsubame visited Kaoru to check in on her. Since he was kicked out earlier, Tsubame and Tae were the only ones whom the kendo teacher would talk too without getting upset. But then again could he blame his teacher for not getting upset at him? He was in the room when Saito requested for Kenshin's help and he was just a young boy.

Shaking his head, he straightened to his full height. He turned the corner to see the familiar fence of the dojo. On the other side of the fence, Kaoru and Tsubame were probably sitting down on the veranda and were having their late cups of tea or so Yahiko hoped. He didn't want to think of either of them getting into trouble. At least Kaoru was too depressed to get out of the dojo and go wandering by herself in the dark alleyways of Tokyo. Who knew what perils lay in the dark?

He strolled to the main dojo gates that had been his home for quite sometime and he raised a closed fist to tap on the wooden door. For some reason, his fist began to shake and he found himself pausing. Maybe right now was not the right time, but he ran all around Tokyo in search of Tsubame.

"What the hell? What do I have to lose?" he asked himself before he banged heavily on the wooden door. There was an edge of eerie silence to the dojo. He squinted his eyes to get a better view of his home, when he realized he didn't see any of the lamps on. Perhaps Tsubame had stayed the night and they were sleeping.

He banged on the dojo doors again, hoping to wake someone up. He didn't care if Kaoru got mad at him again, as long as she and Tsubame were okay. He tried again but no one answered the gates.

He kicked one of the dojo doors with his foot when it suddenly opened. He was greeted with a dreadful sight. There was a hunched over figure on the floor. Short tangled hair covered a pale face. The kimono looked rumpled and dirty. He heard sobs as he approached the figure, thinking Kaoru was still crying.

"Kaoru," he called out. The figure stopped crying and lifted her head. Automatically, he saw shiny tears spilling down pale cheeks. The person stood up and ran to him. She clutched at his gi and she pressed her wet face to his chest.

"I couldn't stop them," she sobbed.

"Tsubame," he said as it dawned on him that he found the main person he was looking for. He raised his head to glance around the dojo and he noticed there were no lamps lit to notify that Kaoru was aware of Tsuabme's presence.

"I tried to stop them," the distraught girl whispered through her tears. "But… weak…."

And then her words became incoherent. Wariness started bubbling in Yahiko's chest. "Where's Kaoru?" he asked her. He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away from him so he could look into her eyes. "What happened to Kaoru?"

Tsubame shook her head. Her short, stringy hair waved crazily in her face. At first, he couldn't hear her words but then the words he did hear caused him to still. "I don't know."

* * *

 **I greatly apologize for the long overdue update. I have no excuses since I've been updating in between the long periods on other stories; therefore, I won't give a date for the next update. I'm so sorry. *Blushes and dodges a lot things being thrown at her.* I hope this chapter was able to entertain you until the next chapter. Also, thank you so much to the readers for reading and leaving a review. Please tell me what you think and I will try my best to respond to your review.**


End file.
